[Equestrian Earth] True Pony, Anthro, or Humanized? · 7:56pm Jan 12th, 2014
This question has been hovering over my head for a while now, but I've been trying to ignore it until one of my readers asked the question. The haunting question that is now clouding over my mind. The question that I've been avoiding all my life! (Not really, but I love Doctor Who.)
Yep. That question.
Honestly, writing the action scenes in Equestrian Earth was (and is) very difficult because I have to imagine how a pony would fight, and honestly I'm not very experienced with writing fight scenes, and I don't really know how Pony Anatomy works.
If you've been with me for a very long time (and can remember way far back), I use this image as a reference for Pony Anatomy.
Opps! Wrong one!
It's this one.
For those of you who have similar questions like Kapuchu's, then yes that picture is your answer as to why I refer the front leg of these Ponies as forearms.
Hooves are not the entire leg. It's the base of their legs. The hard part.
After all, I don't say forehands now do I?
But of course, ponies technically have four legs, so I have to use fore and hind in order to describe which limb they're using.
That, of course, leads to these variety of terms
~foreleg
~forearm
~forehoof
~hind leg
~hind hoof
However, if we take a look at the human body, they certainly don't have limbs that use fore or hind a lot.
My mind is currently going all over the place, and I can't really get the point of this blog across, so I'm gonna just get straight to the point.
Do you prefer the fic to be True Pony, Anthro, or Humanized?
I'm good with anything
I like it how someone went and took the time to actually make up an anatomy chart for a pony. That is, unless they just copied off of an actual equine anatomy chart. That said, this explains a lot of things for me from other stories as well. I had no damn idea what a fetlock was for the longest time and now I know.
I like to imagine most fics as true pony, as that is how most fics are intended to be seen (I think), and force myself to imagine it this way, even if they are supposed to be humanized. It's not that hard for me though. I'm a pretty big fan of the "Warrior" and "Seekers" series by Erin Hunter, so I have experience reading about four legged creatures.
Just pony please.
Anything but Anthro.
If It's high quality, I just picture in my mind whatever for makes the most sense for the scene, with a bias towards pony unless explicitly stated what they are.
In my opinion, it makes sense for it to be pony, but I'm partial to humanized as well. Frankly, though, the mental image of pony AJ with a warhammer seems more... appropriate somehow.
Anthro, please.
i gotta go with anthro. easier to write, while still making it so you can use pony lingo.
Pony.
I prefer True Pony.
As the asker of the question.
HIYA EVERYPONY!
I've gotta go with anthro. It will be much easier for you to write future chapters, although you'll have a bit of work to do with the present chapters.
It would also allow them to wear more equipment, as equines are kinda limited to bardings, cloaks, bats and a bit of jewellery. Plus a tiny bit more. It would give you a greater variety of things to work with, more weapons and much easier fight scenes.
I'll see what the decision becomes later on. See ya!
I gotta go to bed <.< early up tomorrow.
I prefer Anthro.
i prefer anthro
True pony preferably
Plus one vote to all from me. Just so long as they keep their flippity-floppers. (I'm starting to enjoy saying that.) Hmm. I wonder how odd that'd be for a human to make an anthro character on a game...
I personally prefer true pony, but that's more because I like looking at how quadraped combat works. However, I read this story because I like the characters, dialogue, and plot-line. so if you decide to change how you write it, I'll still read this (enthusiastically, I might add). Anyway, in the end, it's really your decision.
-C.Storm
true pony works best for me.
If you did anthro or Humanized, then you'd have to rewrite ALL of your chapters so far to make it work
I've always thought of the story being true pony, but whatever you choose is fine.
I prefer true pony, but this is your story and ultimately your choice.
Definitely True Pony.
True Pony. As far as AJ holding a massive hammer... she has a mouth. I was just imagining her swinging it around rampantly.
1712776
I made a blog earlier about how ponies using mouths to handle weapons is a little bad cause heavier weapons might cause them to accidentally snap their necks, but meh. Cartoons.
1712823 That, and in the cartoon, they're playing a video game. So, double the unrealisticness.
1712864
I guess... the point of the game was for it to be one of the most indepth fantasy mmos out there, with highly intelligent and interactive NPCs and smart monsters, but I guess there should be exceptions.
I think it should be pony. The cartoon itself has ponies doing things that would require hands to pull off. We can have our stories doing the same. If anyone wants to argue that, you can always say: "creative licence."
1713117
lol kk
Started as ponies.
Should stay ponies.
Besides, wouldn't all that editing be a pain?
I have the same thoughts.
Pony.
true-pony. especially since you've already accepted and are still accepting non-pony oc's. For one thing I HIGHLY doubt the one you accepted from me would work at all in anthro/human setting and i bet alot of others wouldn't either.
1713860
Also true.
True Pony!!!!
True pony. For one im fairly sure there's a rule against anthro. and if you make it human that' it kinda stops being MLP related at all. because the only thing that connects it to equestrian at all right now is having ponies in it. otherwise it turns into a human in aeroslida story and doesn't have anything to do with MLP aside from some similar names.
1714174
There's an Anthro genre tag.
True Pony. It is a cartoon. Don't question the logic. If you say arm on accident, we know what you mean. Also if people complain about "Oh a pony's limbs can't move in that direction" or something like that, once again, it is a cartoon. DEAL WITH IT. It is your story though, so whatever direction you take, I will 100% back you up.
I prefer sticking to real ponies, even if some creative imagination is required.
It goes without saying that mentally we think of the characters as human, at least in most of the ways that matter. We can't really have much sympathy with an actual talking horse. If we saw such a thing in real life it would be truly alien to us. Whenever we deal with talking/intelligent creatures we have a tendency to superimpose human traits and attributes on them and think of them in the way we would fellow humans.
In fact the show art style seems to apply some anthropomorphism as it is, just check out the size and shape of the head (large compared to body) and the size/shape of the eyes (large and roundish w/large pupils and iris). Even the nose is somewhat pronounced relative to the face. It doesn't look at all like a real horse or pony, except for perhaps some general comparisons, like the nose and mouth not being separate like ours are.
Still, there's no reason to go full anthro or human at all. Just make sure to be relatively careful about terminology, because that can be distracting.
P.S. The warhammer looks a bit large. A more conventional warhammer might be a one-handed weapon. The kind the design follows is somewhere between a two-handed weapon and a polearm. It would be a significant effort for AJ to wield realistically as it would probably required leaning back on her back hooves and holding between the two front hooves to swing. Although maybe a place to rest it against her back in preparation for such a swing would make it easier to accomplish?
1716527
Well about the warhammer part, don't forget that as True Ponies, they can snap tree-thick vines and hold themselves up on tree branches with their tails without having to tie them.
1716593
Unrealistic depictions are the bread and butter of the MLP universe. Nevertheless, I urge you to lean on or at least consider realism whenever possible, except perhaps when it would be exceedingly hilarious not to. 
But of course.
1716676
Oh I know. I know.
I knowwww
The ONLY way id go anthro is if it were just how the game itself were developed only. Obviously them in their real world would be full pony. No Humanized IMO (please..please.. no
). Though if you kept it full pony it would be best IMO. Its not like we havent seen them carrying stuff that normally would require hands before.
1717856
static3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131230214447/mlp/images/a/a5/Pinkie_Pie_holding_flashlight_in_her_mane_S4E07.png
True.
1717873
LOL, I wouldn't have picked that image when I made the comment, but yeah! That works XD